On Valentines Day we watched in horror as another mass shooting unfolded in the United States, this time at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The time for thoughts and prayers without action is over. We need you to urge Congress to act.

It is astonishing that we as a nation have seemingly accepted that ordinary activities like going to a concert or nightclub, or even attending school, carries the risk of violent death. Easy access to guns will only make events like this more common, as fear, hatred, and rage can easily escalate into horrifying slaughter.

We grieve with the families who lost their loved ones and pray for healing the constant wounds they continue to feel. The despair that comes from the loss of life after these events is only compounded by a different kind of sadness and frustration that comes from the resulting inaction by Congress. We are deeply concerned about the lack of progress on this issue, and with each passing tragedy our sadness and frustration mounts. Gun violence is taking an unacceptable toll on our society, in mass killings and in the senseless deaths happening every day. The time for merely offering thoughts and prayers without necessary action is over.

Our faith calls for us to confront America’s gun violence epidemic and enact policies that reduce death and injury from gunfire. Congress has a moral obligation to act, and yet in the face of repeated mass shootings they have continually failed to take meaningful action. This massacre brutally lays bare our elected officials’ failure to act on gun violence. However, tragedies like these are not inevitable. Congress can pass common sense, responsible legislation that can help reduce the appalling rates of gun violence in the U.S.

Here’s what Congress can do

Any effective legislation that Congress introduces should include:

• Universal background checks on every gun purchase,
• A ban on all high-capacity weapons and ammunition magazines, and
• Reintroduce the assault weapons ban.

There is no legitimate self-defense or sporting purpose for these military-style, high-capacity weapons and magazines whose only purpose is to kill large numbers of people in a short amount of time.

If Congress doesn’t introduce a stand-alone piece of legislation, they can realistically attach some or all of these provisions to a moving piece of legislation. Public support for these measures is overwhelming, and is only growing in light of recent events.

We need you to urge Congress to act

The prevention of gun violence isn’t about partisanship. It’s about keeping people alive. Every single member of Congress needs to hear that message. We cannot allow politics to once again prevent common sense, responsible legislation. Congress must act. Considering Congress’s history of inaction on this issue, it can be discouraging to push for change. Progress can be slow, but it won’t happen at all if we disengage. And at no time is political engagement more important than in the lead up to an election season.

We need you to contact your members of Congress and urge them to push forward on addressing gun violence. Urge them to keep working until they pass meaningful and impactful legislation. We can make this an election issue. The time for Congress to lead is now. We must urge them to take action and protect each sacred life.